SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Prom 23 ,  Beethoven, Mahler : Karen Cargill (mezzo); Johan Botha (tenor) BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra/Donald Runnicles. Royal Albert Hall,  3.8. 2008 (CC)


This Das Lied von der Erde comes in the wake of Gergiev’s gargantuan Mahler 8 at St Paul’s Cathedral. Both took performances place in huge acoustic spaces, but whereas with Gergiev the effect was overwhelming, with Runnicles one was repeatedly amazed by the chamber-like delicacy of much of Mahler’s scoring.

There had been pointers to this in the first part of the concert, a light-footed Beethoven First Symphony. Rhythmically sprung and with pointed phrases that set out to delight, this was fresh-faced Beethoven; the composer was clearly out to take on the World. Repeats were intact, and the lightness of sound was helped by the paring down of (especially) the lower strings. Gentility was the watchword of the Andante cantabile, and while the acoustics of the RAH worked against the accents of the Menuetto (a Scherzo in all but name), preternaturally together first violins helped the finale to make its mark. Ensemble overall was close to tight here, without being of pinpoint accuracy; a shame, as fun was clearly had by all.

Less than half-an-hour for a first half may seem short measure, but Das Lied von der Erde is over an hour in length, and makes demands on players and listeners that are without doubt draining. Runnicles is a superb conductor to work with voices, as his Wagner work has shown in the past. Here, he was in true partnership with his soloists. South African tenor Johan Botha is possessed of a simply huge voice (as he needs to be if he is to survive the first movement, “Das Trinklied vom Jammer der Erde”). No small achievement for the tenor soloist to be audible almost all the time, especially in the Albert Hall, but Botha managed it. On top of that, Runnicles managed to extract maximum orchestral detail from his forces. This was no over-the-top late-Romantic splodge; rather, it was a heartfelt outpouring. Runnicles’ eye for niceties of scoring extended throughout the score, noweher more so than in the nostalgia of “Von der Jugend”.

Ensemble among the violins was again exemplary for the opening of the second movement, “Der Einsame in Herbst”. Cargill’s voice was simply lovely, strong in the lower regions and gripping when she dared real pianissimo (effortlessly and memorably matched by the orchestra). Her pitching, too, was exemplary. Perhaps “Von der Schönheit” lacked projection of the fantastical element of Mahler’s masterpiece—a rare miscalculation in this reading.

Botha’s final contribution was “Der Trunkene im Frühling”. Wonderful to hear the warmth and bloom around his fortes, but a shame that the impact of the line “Der Lenz ist da, sei kommen über Nacht” was rather lost.

Finally, the great half-hour finale. Although Cargill could be forced at her loudest (O Sieh! Wie eine Silberbarke …”), she in the quieter passages she drew the audience in. Never before have I noticed how much quiet writing there is here, ending, of course, with the final reiterations of “Ewig …Ewig”. Runnicles brought across the structure of the movement well, too, with the great, bleak orchestral march making its (admittedly less than shattering) mark within the overall scheme.

A memorable Prom. Runnicles takes over the reins of the BBCSSO next year. They have an exciting time in store, methinks.

Colin Clarke


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